lakota

While she grew up listening to all kinds of music, Lakota Jonez says hip-hop always gripped her more than any other genre. “Probably because I have so much to say. With all other types of music, the songs have, like, eight bars,” she says. “With hip-hop, there are 16 bars, so I can say a lot in one song.” Jonez is of Mohawk, Lakota and Cherokee descent, and she’s from a politically active family. She says her ancestry and upbringing infuse her work—but perhaps not overtly.